Butter-cutter.



w. P. HART.

BUTTER CUTTER. APPLICATION FILED AN. 27, 1909. RENEWED JAN. 12, 1910.958,639. Patented May 17, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. P. HART.

BUTTER CUTTER. APPLICATION FILED 11111. 27, 1909. RENEWED JAN. 12, 1910.

Patnted May 17 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wazyi lam P I To all whom it may concern:

' wILLIm UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

P. BIA RT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AUTOMATIC INDI- VIDUALBUTTER CUTTER COMPANY, A CORZPORATION OF MAINE.

BUTTER-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented May 17, 1910.

Application filed l'anuar-y 27, 1909, Serial No.414,400. Renewed January12, 1910. Serial No. 537,755.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. HART, a citizen of the United States,-andresident of Boston, in the county of Sufiolkand State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Butter-Cutters, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification,

table use.

hke numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

My present invention has for its object the automatic formation in rapidsuccession of individual butter prints, i. e. of the usual small-cubesof butter adapted to individual My chief aim has been to provide simpleand hygienic mechanism which will handle the butter neatly, cutting theindividual cubes or small pieces of butter and preferably simultaneouslyprinting them, all in such a manner as to avoid the possibility ofmussing or injuring the neat appearance of the individual pieces ofbutter.

My machine is particularly adapted to take tub butter or othernon-moldedbutter, molding the same into a large uniformly dense block,and then cut, wlthout waste, small individual pieces, all of absolutelythe same size, density, etc.

Another object had in view has been to devise a mechanism of few partsand in whicheach part is as nearly plane and smooth a'spossible so thatit can be readily cleaned, i. e., I have avoided gears and other formsof cavities and angular pieces as much as possible.

In the accompanying drawings I have preferred embodiment of theinvention.

Figure 1 shows the machine in sideelevation, parts being broken away forclearness of illustration; Fig. 2- is a central vertical longitudinalsection thereof; Fig. 3

shows the machine in top plan, partly broken away; Fig. 4 is afragmentary view of the forward upper corner of the machine in sideelevation, showing the relation of the parts before the cuttingoperation;

and Fig. 5 is a detail of the door-closing devicein front elevation. v

Mounted on suitable standards or legs 1 is a boxlike butter holder'2,herein shown as rectangular in cross section, Within'which is mounted aplunger 3 which serves to press the butter forward, being propelled by aling movement engages the plunger 3 at its extreme lateral ends, the twoside members of said frame being provided with ratchets 5 each notch ofwhich is preferably the width of a piece of butter (usually a halfinch). Cooperating with these ratchets are dogs 6 fast on a shaft 7journaled in the frame of the machine and normally held in lookingposition by springs 8, one of said dogs preferably having a rearwardlyextending thumb piece or handle 9. A second pair of dogs 10 fast 011 ashaft 11 and normally held under locking tendency by a spring 12 ismounted in arms or links 13 'pivoted at 14 to brackets 15 at theopposite sides of the machine, said arms or links being provided attheir lower ends with rolls 16 and normally held back by springs 17 inengagement with the edge of actuating cams 18. The cams 18 are fast on ashaft 19 j ournaled in'brackets 20 at the rear end of the machine, saidshaft 19 bein actuated by any suitable means as by a handle 21. a

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that upon rotating thecam 18 in the direction of the arrow, the links 13 are swung back andforth so that the dogs '10 are caused thereby to move forward theratchets. 5 with each forward swing of said links, the dogs clickingbehind the successive'notches 0f the racks 5 at the end of each forwardmovement of said ratchets so as to retain all the forward impulse whichhas been transmitted to said ratchets and hence to the plunger 3 by theforward movement of the dogs 10. While the dogs 6 thus hold the ratchets5 and plunger 3 and prevent any possibility of rebound or backwardmovement which might otherwise be caused by the slight resiliency whichI have found is always present in the butter, the spring 17 and cam 18have cooperated to move'the links 13 and their dogs 10 back anothernotch into pushing engagement with the racks 5 again, whereupon thecontinued rotation of the cams 18 repeats the operation. In the front ofthe machine I mount a die or cutter frame 22, provided with horlzontaland vertical cutter bars 23, 24: having rear knife edges for severingthe block of butter into longitudinal columns as it is,

pushed forward by the pusher or plunger 3. On the lower front end of theframe of the machine I provide holding hooks or sockets 25 for receivingthe trunnions 26 of a door 27 shown in Fig. 5 ashaving a handle 28 bywhich it is swung upwardly on its trunnions 26 like a hinge and caughtbeneath a latch or other holding device 29.

The frame 22- is held in place by any suitable means as a spring-heldplunger 30. In starting the machine it is necessary'to put the door 27in place to serve as an abutment for halting the butter in its forwardprogress so that the plunger 3 may be permitted to compress and solidifythe mass of butter ahead of it into a homogeneous dense block. Havingthus condensed or rendered homogeneous the mass of butter, the door 27is removed so as to ermit the cutting to take place. This is e ected bya wire 31 secured at its opposite ends to sliding members 32 of a yoke33 which extends across the front of the machine. The sliding members 32slide on vertical guides 34 so that the cutting wire 31 is therebycaused to travel in a truly vertical path in approximate contact withthe face of the machine and across the front edges of the knives23, 24,the cutting being performed on the upward movement so that the pieces ofbutter drop away into a receptacle as they are out instead of alldropping in a body, as would be the case if the cutting were downward.The yoke 33 also carries a print roll 35 whose axle or trunnions 36 areheld yieldingly by springs 37 to permit said print roll to have ayielding pressure against the butter, said roll being preferably givenpositive rotation by the engagement of its pinions 38 with the oppositevertical racks 39 secured to the machine, said racks being held forwardso as to provide a space 40 at the rear for the vertical movement of thecutting wire behind the print roll. print roll is preferably sopositioned that it presses against the butter just before the latter iscut by the wire, and hence'the pressure of the print roll against thebutter has no tendency to interfere in any way with the neat, cleanseveringofthe individual butter pieces. i

The vertical movements of the cutting and printing mechanism areaccomplished by long levers 41 at the opposite sides of the machine,pivoted at 42to the slides 32 and at 43 to arms 44 extending from therear end of the machine andherein shown as constituting continuations ofthe brackets 20. Said levers 41 are provided with rolls 45 in positionto be engaged by the cams 18 as the latter rotate. The pivots 42 slidein longitudinal slots 46 formed in the front ends of the levers 41, andadjacent said front ends are other slots 47 in said levers for receiving holding devices 48 pivoted at 49 on,

the head of the machine, said devices '48 being turned on their pivotsinto engagement with said levers 41 whenever it is desired to maintainthe latter in raised position as The shown in Fig. 4'. The levers 44 aremounted in position as shown above the cams 18 and connected asdescribed, so that when suspended on the holding fingers or arms 48 theywill be clear of the cams 18 and will not interfere with the independentoperation of said cams for the purpose of compressing the butter.

Fig. 4 shows the parts in position for beginning the use of the machine,viz. for compressing the butter into a solid homogeneous block ready tobe cut, and Figs. 1 and 2 show the machine ready to cut off theindividual butter pieces after the mass of butter has first been thuscondensed. After the mais desired to fill it again, the plunger orpusher 3 is pulled back to its starting position by means of a handle 50which connects at the rear the two ratchets 5, 5, the dogs 6 and 10being caused to release their engagement with said racks by depressingthe tail piece or handle 9 of the dog 6 which engages thecorrespondingly projecting tailor handle of the dog 10 directly beneaththe same, so that as a result both sets of dogs are disengaged froin theratchet. The apparatus is provided with a slide cover 51 adapted to bepulled rearward so as to open the box 2.

In use, the plunger 3 is first moved back to the rear by depressing thehandle 9 sufi ciently to disengage both sets of pawls' from the ratchet5 and then the desired amount of butter is packed into the machine infront of the plunger, the cover 51 is closed, the door 27 is put inplace at the front of the machine, the yoke, cutting wire, and printroll being first raised and locked in suspended position as shown inFig. 4, and then the operator quickly compresses the butter into asolid, dense, homogeneous block by a few turns of the handle 27. Norebound of the butter is possible because of the two sets of dogs 6, 10.Having properly condensed the butter into a solid block, the

door 27 is removed, the suspending arms 48 are turned on their pivots 49out of engagement with the levers 41 so as to permit the cam rolls 45thereof again to engage the cams 18, and thereupon rotation of said camscauses the cutting wire 31, preceded by the print roll 35, to' rise andfall alternately with the forward pressing movements of the butter,printing and cutting a series of individual pieces of butter at eachupward movement. s

The parts are so constructed that. the downward movement of the wire 31and roll 35 is instantaneous, whereas the upward movement iscomparatively slow, and the pushing or forward feeding-of the butter isaccomplished after the wire and roll fall, the latter being at rest'asufficient length chine has been operated sufliciently and it v thepusher and ratchet one notch.

It will be evident to those skilled inthe art that my invention iscapable of a considerable range of variations in mechanical details, andaccordingly I do not limit the same otherwise than as hereinafterexpressed in the claims. f H

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is, g i

1. A butter cutter, comprising means for compacting a mass of butterinto a solid block to be cut, cutting means for cutting a plurality ofindividual pieces from one end of said block,'a single actuatingmechanism common to both of said means, actuating connections from saidmechanism to saidcompacting means and to said cutting means said cuttingmeansbeing movable into inoperative position out of actuated relation tosaid actuating mechanism when it is desired to actuate the compactingmeans said movement of the cutting means disconnecting its saidactuating connection from operative relation with said common actuatingmechanism.

2. In a butter cutter, means for sub-dividing a block of butter into aseries of columns at one end, means for transversely severing the endsof said columns to form a plurality of individual butter pieces, andpositively-acting printing means operating just ahead of said transversesevering action, for positively impressing the end of each columnseparately with an individual print.

3. In 'a butter cutter, means for sub-dividing a block of butter into aseries of columns at one end, a transversely moving member at said end,a cutter carried by said member in position to sever individual butterpieces from the ends of said columns, and a print roll carried by saidmember just ahead of said cutter for impressing prints on the ends ofthe columns successively just before said severing thereof.

' 4. In a butter cutter, means for sub-dividing a block of butter into aseries of columns at oneend, a transversely moving member at said end, acutter carried by said memher in position to sever individual butterpieces from the ends of said columns, and a positively driven print rollcarried by said member just ahead of said cutter for progressivelyimpressing prints on the ends of the columns just before'the progressivesevering thereof.

5. In a butter cutter, a box-like butter holder for retaining a mass ofbutter to be compacted into a solid block and cut into individualpieces, compacting means, means for sub-dividing said block of butterinto a series of parallel longitudinal columns projecting beyond saidbox-like holder, means for positively impressing the end of each of saidparallel columns beyond said holder with a separate individual print,and cut- 'thereb ting means for transversely severing the endsof saidcolumns as they are impressed forming the desired plurality of indiviual butter pieces,

6. A butter cutter, comprising a butter receptacle, a grid-like severlngframe 'in the forward end for sub-dividing the butter into longitudinalcolumns, a plunger for pushing the mass of butter forward toward saidend and pushing mechanism including longitudinal ratchet mechanismextending rearwardly from said plunger, independent spring-actuateddogs, one ahead of the other, for engaging said ratchet mechanism, andmeans for reciprocating one of said dogs to push forward said plunger,the other dog serving to hold the plunger in its forward position whensaid actuating dog is being" reciprocated backward, the forward doghaving a rearwardly extending tail piece overhanging the rear dog inposition to disengage the latter from the ratchet mechanism when theforward dog is similarly disengaged.

7. A butter cutter, comprising a butter receptacle, agrid-like severingframe in the forward end for sub-dividing the butter into longitudinalcolumns, 'a plunger for pushing the mass of butter forward toward saidend, a cam shaft and cams at the rear end, a yoke provided with atransverse cutter for cutting off the front ends of the columns ofbutter, said yoke extending across the forward end of the machine andhaving rearwardly extending levers pivoted at the rear end of themachine in position to be engaged by said cams for causing said, cutterto rise and fall, and step-by-step puslnng mechanism actuated by saidcams for pushing said plunger forward in the intervals between thecutting movements of said cutter.

the mass of butter forward toward said end,

a cam shaft and cams at the rear end, a yoke provided with a transversecutter fOIflCIlttlIlg oil the front ends of the columns of buttersaidyoke extending across the forward end lot of the machine and havingrearwardly extending levers pivoted at the rear endof the machine inposition to be engaged by sald cams for causing said cutter to rise andfall,

links pivoted to a fixed support at-one end in posltion to be engaged bysaid cams to be swung forward after said levers have been actuated tomove said cutter upward, and pawl and ratchet mechanism between saldplunger and links actuated by the latter for moving the plunger forward.

9. A butter cutter, comprising a receptacle, cuttin mechanism at thefront end and actuatlng mechanism at the rear end, and a plungerwithinsaid-jreceptacle for pushing the butter forward ,to be out, saidcutting a mechanism including a stationary die for severing the butterinto longitudinal collinks pivoted to a fixed part of the machine ,atone end and actuated b I said cams, ratchets extending rearward y fromsaid plunger, and dogs carried by said links to engage said ratchets forfeeding the plunger forward.

10. A butter cutter, comprising a receptacle, cutting mechanism at thefront end and actuating mechanism at the rear end,

' and a plunger within said receptacle for pushing the butter forward tobe out, said cutting mechanism including a stationary die for severingthe butter into longitudinal columns, a vertically movable horizontalwire for cutting the columns transversely, the machine having verticalslots in which said wire travels, opposite sliding members for holdingsaid wire, vertical guides on which said members travel, a transverseprint roll carried by said members immediately in front and above saidwire, levers for moving said members, extending rearwardly and pivotedat the rear end of the machine,

atransverse shaft and cams thereon for engaging said levers toreciprocate said wire, vertically extending links pivoted to a fixedpart of the machine at one end and actuated eaaese by said cams,ratchets extending rearwardly from said plunger, and dogs carried bysaid links to engage said ratchets for feeding the plunger forward.

11. A butter cutter, comprising a receptacle, cutting vmechanism at thefront end and actuating mechanism at the rear end, and a plunger withinsaid receptacle for pushing the butter forward to be out, said cuttingmechanism including a statlonary die for severing the butter intolongitudinal columns, a vertically movable horizontal wire for cuttingthe columns transversely, the machine having vertical slots in whichsaid wire travels, opposite sliding members for holding said wire,vertical guides on which said members travel, a transverse print rollcarried by said members immedi-' ately in front and above said wire, atoothed pinion on said roll, a stationary rack bar in front of saidslots for actuating said pinion as'the roll is verticall reciprocated,levers for moving said mem rs, extending rearwardly and pivoted at therear end of the machine,.a transverse shaft and cams thereon forengaging said levers to reciprocate said wire, vertically extendinglinks pivoted to a fixed part of the machine at one end and actuated bysaid cams, ratchets extending rearwardly from said plunger, and dogscarried by said links to engage said ratchets for feeding the plungerforward.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM P. HART.

Witnesses:

EDWARD MAXWELL, M; J. SPALDING.

